An unprecedented number of House Republicans are opting to retire or pursue other offices, complicating Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) bid to fend off a potential blue wave in the 2026 midterms and preserve his razor-thin majority.
So far, 36 House Republicans — including the most recent, Rep. Sam Graves (Mo.) — have announced they will leave their seat at the end of their term, pointing to legislative gridlock, family commitments or a wish to make room for the next generation of leaders.
That total exceeds the record set in the 2018 midterm cycle, when 34 House Republicans chose not to run for reelection and Democrats regained control of the lower chamber under President Trump’s first term.
Their sitting congresspeople. They don’t have to win an election to affect change. They can simply use their vote to go against the immoral legislation put before them. Instead, they’re just heading for the exits and months or years of voting for the horrible stuff.
I never said they weren’t cowards. A craven sycophant can still recognize how far they’ve fallen and have an attack of conscience